My Fitness Journey prepping for Figure Competition

Okay, this weekend was not as good as I wanted it to be! I rocked last week, was right on with my nutrition, did some heavy lifting, and have been so sore!! Then the weekend came and I had an extra cheat meal! YIKESS!!!! This is the time I need to be really strict!! I am about 14 weeks out and I need to get LEANNN!! 

Anyways, the extra cheat was good and worth it lol! Now, back in the game! 

I got my food prep done and it is so much easier being held accountable!! I am starting my next fitness challenge with my challengers online and I show them how I meal prep, so it keeps me right on track too!! Yes, even myself as a fitness coach needs a little accountability too!!

 I am going for pretty much all chicken this week! Lots of green beans, Brussel sprouts, red skin potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fresh berries!! I have my Shakeology for a meal I will add my peanut butter to it along with Recover protein to help with muscle soreness post workouts, so thats another meal I don't have to worry about that I know I'm getting lots of dense nutrition!! 

 As I prepped and prepared for the week, I kinda had a little fun with some ingredients I had here.. all healthy but a perfect treat to help those cravings when you got a sweet tooth!! 

Here is my newest recipe for my:

  Chocolate Shakeology Truffles!!

Whats really cool about Shakeology is it is a health shake meal replacement, but you can do so much more than just plain shakes to drink!! Turn those superfoods into a healthy alternative to those chocolate cravings!! This is what helps me stay on track, consistent with my healthy eating, and progress to those big goals I have!! 

Since I'm prepping for my show, I gave most away, but saved 3 for when Im in need lol!!

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
• 1/2 scoop Beachbody Performance Recovery (or chocolate protein powder)
• 1/4 cup Almond Flour
• 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
• 3 TBSP Blue Agave
• 3 TBSP Almond Milk
• 1 TBSP Coconut Oil
• 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Soy free, gluten free, dairy free chocolate chunks (found in organic section in grocery store-- I use ENJOY LIFE brand)

Directions:

1. Mix first 8 ingredients together in bowl
2. Heat last ingredient (chocolate chunks) in pot on stove until melted (or in microwave- approx 2 min)
3. After first 8 ingredients are mixed, make balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on cookie sheet on parchment paper
4. Put balls in fridge for 15 minutes
5. After chocolate is melted, take balls out of fridge and dip using spoon or toothpick so the chocolate covers a light layer around ball and place back on parchment paper. 
6. Put balls back in fridge for 10 minutes
7. If you have remaining chocolate, you can drizzle lightly across balls to add decoration! Make it fancy :) I used a sandwich baggie and added the rest of the melted chocolate in the bag and took out all the air. Cut a very small cut on the corner of the bag so the chocolate slowly drizzles out!
8. Put back in fridge for 5 minutes
9. Serve and enjoy!!

If you are working on your own fitness journey and are wanting extra support, tips, and help with motivation to stay on track, please fill out the application below for a spot in my next 30 day Fitness Challenge/Support group!! This is where the magic happens!! Goals reached, surround yourself around others looking to improve their life, and lots of success!! 

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

There is nothing better than a good ol Spicy Taco Salad!! Making it healthy... even better!! There is always healthy alternatives to make sure you are satisfying your cravings while reaching your ultimate health and fitness goals!! 

This recipe was absolutely amazing!! I hope you like it as much as I did!! Be sure to comment below if you liked it! :) 

INGREDIENTS:

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup light sour cream or yogurt
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:

• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts) Leftover grilled chicken works too.
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 frozen bag steam fresh kernel corn cooked

DIRECTIONS:

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 6 ingredients, stir until well mixed.
2. To prepare salad, combine lettuce and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge – it’s just as good the second day!

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad.

Yield: 4 Servings   Servings Size: Approx 2 1/2 cups

*If you are ready to start or working on your fitness journey  and would like daily support, tips, and accountability to help you reach your ultimate goals, please fill out the application below for a spot in my next 30 day private fitness challenge/support group! This is an opportunity for you to surround yourself with others with similar goals and get nutrition and fitness tips that will help you make this a lifestyle!

5 Day FREE Clean Eating Group LOVE YOURSELF FIT!

Valentine's Day is not just about loving someone and giving gifts, its about LOVING YOURSELF!! Loving who you are on the inside and out! I will say I know many people (I am guilty of this too) who tend to be so worried about other people (spouses, kids, parents etc.) that they take care of them, but forget to take care of themselves or put themselves last and then you become more unhappy and miserable.  

If you cannot take care of yourself, how can you take care of anyone else? It is important for you to be healthy and take care of yourself to be that great role model, but also so you can be around for a hundred years!!! :) 

Clean eating is 80% of your results... How you feel on the inside and how you look on the outside! You can take away all the carbs or fats, but your body NEEDS these!!! In order to have your body in the best shape ever, you need to fuel it with the proper nutrients!! Thats where I come into play!! 

I want to help you learn some great tips on clean eating, how to grocery shop the healthy way  without spending tons of money.... I love budgeting.. I am a mom of 2 little boys and I like to save where I can! I also want to teach you what times are good to eat what types of food!! 

Its a process... its a journey, but it all starts with YOUR decision to get started! 

I am looking for men and women who are looking to get healthier, leaner, and to get on track with their nutrition and fitness goals! 

I am hosting my 5 Day Clean Eating Group where I get to work with you to help you start your journey, or get you off that plateau!

Please fill out the application below for a spot in my 5 Day Love Yourself FIT group where you will learn health and nutrition tips, what my meal plans look like to help me stay in the best shape, and daily support and motivation!

Thai Shrimp and Rice Noodles

It doesn't get any better than this!! My 4 FAVORITE ingredients (and maybe yours too) all in 1 recipe!?!? Yes, its going to be that simple!!!

So I've had Thai Chicken before (another recipe on my blog here), but this was just awesome, and I even took away the 1 ingredient that I didn't want to use because its not "clean".  So I did a trial and error, and it turned out to be a success!!

Please comment below if you try it!! Would love to hear your thoughts!!!

THAI SHRIMP AND RICE NOODLES

Ingredients:

• Package of Rice Noodles (got in international section in grocery store)
• 12 oz Shrimp (peeled and cooked according to package)
• 1 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter
• 2 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Chili Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic

Directions:

1. Cook Rice Noodles according to package on back, strain when cooked and placed back in pan on stove on low-medium
2. Cook shrimp according to directions on package
3. In separate bowl, add Peanut Butter and 1/2 tsp hot water and stir.
4. Add rest of ingredients (Sriracha, Chili, and garlic) to peanut butter mixture
5. Add mixture into noodles on stove
6. Add shrimp to mixture
7. Stir and serve.
8. ENJOY!!

Hope you love as much as I did!! This recipe is great with steamed broccoli!

If you are using the 21 Day Fix or Hammer and Chisel, here are the containers for this recipe:

1 RED

1 TSP

1 YELLOW

1 GREEN (if your adding broccoli) :)

For more clean eating tips, recipes, daily motivation and accountability to help you reach your ultimate health and fitness goals, please fill out my application below to have a spot in my next private fitness challenge/support group!

Easy Healthy Snack Idea- Kale Chips

It can be so difficult to get those veggies in right? It can get boring with the same old celery, and raw veggies and sometimes we just want that extra crunch right?!? 

Nothing easier than throwing raw Kale on a cookie sheet and and turning them into Kale Chips!! 

Ingredients:

• 3 handfuls of raw kale
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• Himalayan salt  

Directions:

1. Place raw kale on cookie sheet spread out. 
2. Sprinkle Himalayan salt on top of kale and bake at 350 for 12 minutes!

You got yourself a healthy snack!

Healthy Holiday Stuffing Recipe

The holiday is right around the corner, and I personally know how easy it is to fall off track with your nutrition.... I mean come on, the food is EVERYWHERE!! 

But it's time to stop thinking the holiday is all about eating as much food as you can and focus on the real meaning of the holidays!! Let's focus on being thankful and surrounding ourselves around our families!!!

Ok, so yea, there is still food everywhere lol... but instead of being like the "average people who gain 5 lbs minimum over the holidays", lets be the over achievers who make healthy alternatives to still enjoy the holiday but stay on track and feel amazing after eating!!  

Seriously, I feel like people think its mandatory to have a food baby after eating Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner lol!!  IT'S NOT mandatory, I promise!!!! :)

Healthy Holiday Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2. 1 cup chopped celery
3. 1/2 cup chopped onion
4. 10 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted and cut into cubes
5. 1/4 cup chopped parsley
6. 1/2 teaspoon paprika
7. 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8. 1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries
9. 1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, heat the chicken broth over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, parsley, paprika, nutmeg, cranberries, and  walnuts. Add the onion and celery mixture. Stir to mix evenly.
4. Spoon stuffing into the prepared baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.
5. ENJOY!!

NO MORE JUNK FOOD! JOIN MY 5 DAY "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT" CHALLENGE!

TIME TO GET RID OF THE JUNK!!

Seriously, candy is EVERYWHERE!!! Are you with me?!? Every time I turned, I saw another piece!! Like, are my kids really going to eat all this, and if not, AM I?? 

It's time to think to ourselves, is this the lifestyle we really want for ourselves?? For our kids?? NO! Why would we want to put our children in a situation of being unhealthy, uncomfortable, and unhappy!!  It is OUR job as the parents to set the pace, and set a good example so we can all live a healthy fulfilling life!! 

So yes, it starts with US!! Do you have bad habits of your own with snacking, binging, emotional eating?? I will admit, I did very bad at one point in my life, and still I have days where it comes back and haunts me... BUT for the most part, I have managed to overcome my struggles with eating!! 

HOW?
By having support and accountability EVERY day to get me through those cravings, temptations, and difficult times.  Every day, I have a group to check in to and this is my place to throw my struggles, and get re motivated!! By seeing others struggle with similar things, and surrounding yourself with people that have similar goals, pushes you to do better! 

Having a coach to check into daily is another source of accountability.  You know you never want to have to check in and say how bad you did, so you are pushed in the direction to do good and have a good check in!! Don't get me wrong, we all have off days and days where we don't want to check in at all because we totally fell off the wagon, but those days are our lessons learned and moments we realize we need to push harder!! Without having a place to check in, your left free to go do as you please with no consequences! 

Now, this is WHY I am offering my FREE 5 Day "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT" Clean Eating Challenge... This group will give you a taste of what I provide my challengers with.  This is an example of how having daily support, motivation, and accountability can change your entire mindset and drive with your health and fitness goals! 

This challenge group is not something I came up with and am just trying.. its something I used to reach my goals, and I've consistently used it EVERY month for the past 3 years of my fitness coaching career, and I confidently can say IT WORKS!!   

Now, this is YOUR chance to set the example for your friends and family watching you, but also set the bar high for yourself and your own goals!! This healthy lifestyle is not impossible... it is something that takes practice, dedication, and commitment, and once you get into the routine, YOUR GOLDEN!! So let's get you started!! 

If you would like a spot in my 5 DAY FREE CHALLENGE "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT", Please fill out the application below!

*You must NOT be a current Beachbody coach or be working with a coach to participate in this group.  

Of course we can end with a little sense of humor!! YAASSS!!